Meanwhile I’d like to start a new thread – on the same subject but this is not about farming it’s about hunting an endangered species for the sake of money. This post comes to us direct from the Southern Ocean, from the Captain of the ‘Steve Irwin’ as he and his crew of volunteers chase the Japanese whaling fleet across the most dangerous ocean in the world. This is direct action at it’s very best and these are the words of Captain Paul Watson himself. Enjoy.

From the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin

2330 Hours January 29th, 2009
The Eastern side of the Rose Sea
The Southern Ocean

We are only hours away from returning to the Japanese whaling fleet. We left them on January 7th after chasing them for three weeks and forcing one of their harpoon ships to Indonesia for repairs.

We were forced to retreat 2500 miles to Tasmania to refuel and it was another 2500 miles to return to the Eastern side of the Ross Sea to resume our interventions against Japan’s illegal whaling operations.

For two years we have forced a 50% reduction in the kill quota. We are well on our way to making it a third year.

Meanwhile the International Whaling Commission is negotiating with Japan to possibly legalize their whaling activities in return for a mere 20% reduction.

This would be a disaster for marine conservation. It would amount to legalizing the slaughter of an endangered species. The Japanese whaling fleet is targeting endangered and threatened whales in an established international whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. They are in violation of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species and they are violating the Antarctic Treaty.

What the Japanese whaling fleet is doing is no different than elephant or rhino poachers in Africa with the exception that Japan is a rich industrialized nation and the African poachers are impoverished citizens of poor nations.

Our one ship the Steve Irwin is up against a Japanese fleet. One large factory ship, three harpoon vessels, one supply ship, two spotting vessels and a large vessel sent down by the Japanese government with an armed Coast Guard unit on board.

Last year Japanese Coast Guard officers threw concussion grenades at us and fired shots. One shot struck me in the chest and if not for my Kevlar vest, it would have been fatal.

We don’t know what to expect this year but we know that the whalers are becoming increasingly desperate. Last year we cost them $75 million dollars (U.S.) in loss profits. We are hurting them economically and we intend to sink them economically.

As I write this, it is midnight and the sun has dipped briefly and will rise again in a two hours. When it does, our helicopter will head towards where the fleet is and we will follow.

The chase will begin anew for the second time this season. And as they ships flee from us, as they have done every year, they will not be killing whales and every day that we can prevent them from killing a whale is a victory for us.

14 responses to “Captains Blog – January 29th”

Sam

February 2, 2009 at 12:17 pm

Sea Shepherd are amazing 😀

If only there were more people out there with as much conviction and audacity!

Jeffrey Lam

February 2, 2009 at 1:11 pm

I have a lot of thoughts on this subject, but I’ll just start with this:
I didn’t think there was anything we could do to stop them, other than following them around and monitoring what they do. But it does appear that Sea Shepherd have found a way. Well done Sea Shepherd!
One question: why are the Japanese ships fleeing? Sea Shepherd are only following them aren’t they? They are not trying to ram or board them are they?

This is a fantastic cause but I do worry about the reasons why “Japanese Coast Guard officers threw concussion grenades and fired shots” at Captain Paul Watson. Was this completely unprovoked? What led to such a lethal response?
I realise it’s a difficult situation and frustration can lead to dramatic confrontations but how can the Japanese Coastguard justify shooting civilians? This is either a criminal act or self defense.
I hope the Sea Shepherd is bringing this noble cause to world’s attention through legal and honorable methods.

Chris

February 3, 2009 at 10:34 am

Maybe we should strike a deal with the Japanese! We’ll stop eating our way through dwindling stocks of Cod, and they can stop eating their way through the endangered whales.

James

February 3, 2009 at 12:14 pm

I’ve never even tasted whale…

Matt

February 3, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Ironically James nor has most of Japan. Whale meat is served up in high class restaurants. Its kinda like shark fin soup.

James

February 4, 2009 at 11:15 am

I’ve never even tasted sharks fin…

..I think what sea sheapard are doing is really good, it all must be leagal and ‘above board’ (hehe!)

But Dale, why Sea Shepherd?

Matt

February 4, 2009 at 11:24 am

@ James

Nor have i, what i was trying to say its is along the same sorts of lines.

I presume it’s because Dale is a big picture environmentalist. Like Captain Watson himself said “everything on this planet is connected intimately with everything else and whereas winds are the currents of the atmospheric ocean, there is the ocean itself, the sustainer of all life on Earth and it is imperative that we protect aquatic eco-systems from the assault of humanity”

Its not just the whales that Sea Sheperd protect. They fight the illegal seal slaughter on the west coast of Canada, illegal shark fining and over fishing because if fish disappear from the sea, it could have dire consequences for all of humanity – a lifeless ocean would soon lead to a lifeless planet.

since the japanese are whaling in international waters (and are doing it illegally) Sea Shepherd are technically ‘Policing’ this area
😀

the whalers know this and dont like to hang around, there is a list on the sea shepherd website of all the ships they have rammed and sunk. (all legally)

Jeffrey Lam

February 5, 2009 at 9:37 am

Thanks Sam

it all becomes clear now. I guess the harpoon ship that was forced to Indonesia for repairs is one that sea shepherd did catch up with?

I’m not familiar with international waters law, but if Sea Shepherd are complying with it then fine. I just hope no-one is being endangered by this action, but then if the Japanese Coast Guard are attacking Sea Shepherd’s crew then it is an unfulfilled hope. While the actions of both whalers and coast guards are unacceptable, I don’t think human lives should be lost over this.

Having said that, if the threat of Sea Shepherd ramming the boats is always there, but Sea Shepherd never catch them, only forcing them to flee instead of whale, and eventually “sinking them economically” then I personally have no problems with this.

Matt

February 5, 2009 at 12:38 pm

The Sea Shepherd website has loads of videos of them engaging whaling vessels, they throw bottles of butric acid (which is basically rotten butter) which smells foul and also stains so all the whale meat that has been processed is ruined and un sellable, it prevents them bringing more whales onboard because again the meat will be ruined. The whalers have to clean the decks before then can resuming whaling but Sea Shepherd also use a lolution that makes the deck extremely slippery when it is mixed with water so cleaning the deck only exacerbates the problem.

Well done Sea Shepherd crew. You are doing a great job saving our marine friends. I was in Brighton with my wife and family when they voted to stop the ‘bloody’ whaling. I met some of the Scottish Sea Shepherd supporters there (lost contact with them some years ago).

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